2014 The Time of the End

Introduction

Are 6,000 years of sin almost over? Will Jesus come in 2016? The Bible presents enlightening, logical, and compelling answers to these questions. In short, yes!

The 70 “sevens” prophecy in Daniel 9:24 has two fulfillments. First, the 70 “sevens” are 70 sabbatical cycles – 490 years, pointing to the first coming of Jesus as our Savior from sin.

Second, the 70 “sevens” are 70 Jubilee cycles – 3,431 years, pointing to the second coming of Jesus when His people will be permanently freed from sin. In the middle of 2016 the 6,000 years of sin on earth will come to an end, everlasting righteousness will be brought in, and Jesus will come again.

God’s Clocks of Sevens

When God created the earth He defined the weekly clock. He worked six days and rested the seventh. God named the seventh day the Sabbath. Every week since creation has followed the same pattern of six days for work followed by one day for rest.

God applied the same pattern to a week of seven years. He told the children of Israel to plant and to harvest their land for six years and then let the land rest the seventh year. He called the seventh year a sabbath. It is also called a sabbatical.

A third time scale for the weekly pattern is 7,000 years. For almost 6,000 years the earth has been corrupted by sin. In 2016 the 6,000 years will be completed and the people will be removed from the earth. Then the earth will have a sabbath rest for 1,000 years.

Pattern for Rest
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Man - 7 days	Work	Work	Work	Work	Work	Work	Rest	7x1 day
Land - 7 years	Work	Work	Work	Work	Work	Work	Rest	7x1 year
Earth - 7,000 years	Sin	Sin	Sin	Sin	Sin	Sin	Rest	7x1,000 years

Seven sabbatical cycles brought God’s people to the Jubilee to bring restoration to His people and to their land. The Jubilee is a one-year sabbath for the land. The Jubilee cycle is a 49-year repeating pattern. It consists of seven sabbatical cycles, followed by a 50th year called the Jubilee. During the Jubilee the land rests, debts are cancelled, and land is returned to its original owner.

God’s Sabbath Years are Important

The children of Israel were not faithful to God. For 430 years they refused to allow their land to rest during the sabbaticals and Jubilees. For 70 years the land was not allowed its sabbath rest.

Because of their disobedience, God allowed the children of Israel to be taken captive to Babylon for 70 years. While they were in Babylon the land back in Canaan enjoyed its 70 sabbath years of rest.

Daniel

Daniel is taken to Babylon in 605 BC when he is only a teenager. Throughout his captivity he remains faithful to God. As he realizes the 70 years of captivity is almost over, Daniel turns to God and pours out his heart in contrition and repentance.

Daniel is deeply concerned because God’s people are permeated with sin. He begs God to heal His people from their leprosy of sin. While Daniel is still praying Gabriel arrives from the courts of heaven to answer Daniel’s prayer. Gabriel says:

“As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision:

“Seventy 'sevens' are decreed
For your people and your holy city
To finish transgression,
To put an end to sin,
To atone for wickedness,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy
And to anoint the most holy.” Daniel 9:23,24 (NIV).

In a simple, compact, elegant prophecy Gabriel answers Daniel’s prayer. God does have a plan to deliver His people from sin and wickedness. God does have a plan to bring everlasting righteousness into their lives.

One Prophecy, Two Fulfillments

This prophecy has two distinct and essential fulfillments. Remember, Daniel is praying about the lethal problem of sin in himself and in his own people. Gabriel brings him a dual answer that provides a complete solution:

1. Seventy "sevens" - 70 sabbatical cycles – 70 x 7 = 490 years

Seventy "sevens" are decreed for your people to atone for wickedness. Jesus was the atonement and sacrifice for our wickedness. He lived a perfect life on earth and then died for our sins making it possible for us to be delivered from sin and to receive eternal life through faith in Him. The first fulfillment pointed to the coming of the Messiah. The 70 sabbaticals predicted Christ’s first coming.

The 70 sabbaticals began in 457 BC and ended 490 years later in 34 AD. Jesus died and was resurrected in 31 AD in the middle of the 70th sabbatical cycle. The first coming of Christ occurred at the exact time predicted in Daniel's prophecy.

2. Seventy "sevens" - 70 Jubilee cycles – 70 x 7 x 7 +1 = 3,431 years

Seventy "sevens" are decreed for your people to put an end to sin and to bring in everlasting righteousness. The second fulfillment points to the time when God’s people will no longer transgress His law. They will have everlasting righteousness brought into their lives and they will never sin again. Then Jesus will come to take them to heaven. The 70 Jubilees predict Christ’s second coming.

The 70 Jubilees began in 1416 BC when God’s children entered Canaan. The 70 Jubilees will end 3,431 years later in 2016 AD when God’s children will enter heavenly Canaan. God’s people will be totally and permanently delivered from sin and Jesus will come again. The second coming of Christ will occur at the exact time predicted in Daniel’s prophecy.

In these two steps God eliminates sin in His people. They will be forever freed from sin.

Seven Clocks from God

The following time chart shows seven clocks that God specially designed. The clocks are based on God’s word alone. The first clock started when the world was created and the seventh clock will end when the world is re-created. This chart uses the formula:
Unit of Time x Pattern = Total.


	Pattern	Unit of Time	Total	What is the significance?	Began
1	7	days	7 days	Rest on 7th day - Sabbath	Creation
2	7 x 7	days	49 days	+1 Pentecost 50th day	Canaan
3	7	years	7 years	Rest on 7th year - sabbath	Canaan
4	7 x 7	years	49 years	+1 Jubilee 50th year	Canaan
5	7	70 years	490 years	First coming of Christ	Once
6	7 x 7	70 years	3,430 years	+1 Second coming of Christ	Once
7	7	1,000 years	7,000 years	Third coming of Christ Rest on 7th 1,000 years-sabbath End of 7th - New earth created	Once

Conclusion

The 70 “sevens” prophecy in Daniel 9:24 has two fulfillments. First, the 70 “sevens” are 70 sabbatical cycles – 490 years, pointing to the first coming of Jesus as our Savior from sin.

God gives each of us a period of time on earth as probation. This probationary period is our opportunity to repent and to have faith in Christ. My probation and your probation will end sometime between now and the middle of 2016 and it may well be sooner rather than later.

The most important thing we can do right now is to give ourselves completely to God in humility and repentance and by faith to receive Jesus as our personal Savior.

Now is the time to seek God, while He may be found. Now is the time to repent. Today is the day to choose to receive Jesus Christ fully and to abide in Him.